Diagnosis: Futility

The speech was very inconsistent in tone, from don't-frighten-the-horses utilitarianism to the grandiosity he finds so hard to resist...

~ Mark Steyn

Steyn's sharp summary of President Obama's speech last night, posted at NRO's "The Corner," is just what the doctor ordered.

If you'll pardon the medical metaphor, it must be a bitter pill for the the Obama White House to swallow that they are so unintentionally transparent to such scathingly elegant writers as Steyn. The president must be getting headaches, eyestrain, and laryngitis from reading so many impassioned, regurgitated, teleprompted speeches.

Poor guy. Well, at least he's got good health coverage.

Pausing to Remember

Greater love hath no man...

~ John 15:13

On August 30, two Los Angeles County firefighters died while battling the Station Fire. Their emergency response vehicle went off-road and plunged into a canyon, killing them both.

To them, it was just another workday. But during this particular shift, they were called upon to sacrifice their lives in the line of duty. On this Labor Day, it is right to remember the public servants who routinely place their lives on the line as part of their jobs, to keep us safe from harm.

The charitable fund that has been established for their families is linked here. Please give some thought to a donation in honor of Fire Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones.

Spin vs. The People

Trust the people.

~ Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the U.S.A.

Ed Feulner of the Washington Times has written an analysis of negative public reaction to "Obamacare" that is suitable for framing.

Bruce Walker of the American Thinker presents a startlingly accurate picture of our nation's inexperienced and inept chief executive.

Taken together, these two articles reflect the main reasons that the Obama presidency is trailing flames after seven months in office. The country's conceited, know-it-all leader refuses to heed the growing outcry against his ill-conceived policies. But populist anger is growing, as evidenced by The Tea Party Express. If you haven't heard of it, it's a citizens protest planned for Washington D.C. beginning on September 10--the day after President Obama's gazillionth televised speech on forced healthcare reform.

So far, at least, this is still the United States of America. "The People" will have their say.

The Darker Side of the Story

If a towering giant cares so much about humanity in general, why get hung up on his carelessness with humans in particular?
~ Mark Steyn, on Ted Kennedy

After all the pomp, hyperbole and hoopla of the interminable farewell to Sen. Ted Kennedy, Mark Steyn's acerbic, blunt reminder of the events at Chappaquiddick is a welcome dose of reality. As Steyn states, she has been "airbrushed" out of the chronicle of Kennedy's history, although her death altered the course of his life.

Even though now that Kennedy is gone we can never know what actually happened, perhaps Mary Jo Kopechne can finally rest in peace.

Worth Reading

If you haven't visited Victor Davis Hanson's website in a while, it's time you did. The man is a national treasure of reason and wisdom.

His educational articles, posted throughout the past two weeks, are all worthy of time and attention from a thoughtful reader.

The Intelligence Myth

"I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go."

- Barack Obama, May 9, 2008, campaigning in Oregon

It is undeniable that President Obama is a charismatic individual with an incomparable gift for speechmaking--provided he is working from a prepared text, via his cherished teleprompter.

What he has not been proven to be is the sharpest knife in the drawer, at least to my satisfaction. This almost heretical opinion flies in the face of all the politically correct swooning over how "smart," "brilliant," and "intelligent" the man is. Personally, I've seen little proof of that. Most people are aghast when I counter their ravings about his "intelligence" with skepticism.

Seriously, take some of the gaffes the president has uttered off the cuff (or more to the point, off the teleprompter). A generous collection of them are linked here. Now, put any one of them into former President George W. Bush's mouth. Be honest. What would the media reaction be to Bush referring to a non-existent language, miscalculating the number of states, being flippant about the Special Olympics, complaining about too many questions, or remarking that he saw many of our fallen heroes sitting in a Memorial Day event?

Bush would have been skewered for days, if not weeks, over each and every error, vilified as a subhuman moron. Yet, Obama slides by with a full media pass and moves along to his next ridiculous statement, such as telling us that under his health care reform, we can keep our health insurance if we like it. The president's oratorical mojo is definitely missing on this issue. Take a look at recent polls. On or off script, he is flailing on this issue. He isn't even smart enough to give his incessant media appearances a rest for a day or so, obviously considering the American proletariat too stupid to figure out that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

As the growing grassroots protests show, Americans are not quite so stupid. And a president who persists in behaving as though we are that stupid simply isn't very bright.

Failure to Communicate

What we've got here is failure to communicate.

~ Cool Hand Luke, 1967

My computer modem died this past Monday. I've been through technological purgatory ever since.

First, I called my "provider." Oops, what a surprise--my warranty is expired! That will be eight million dollars to replace it (well, so it seemed). I asked exactly when my warranty expired but was told "I don't know" by my very helpful representative. Then how, I inquired, do you know it has expired? Oh, the field is automatically filled in by the computer when the warranty expires, she told me in a bored tone.

Excuse me, maybe I'm a cynic, but I told her I'd like to know my purchase date. Okay, she said, hold the line...and hold some more...long enough for me to eat a sandwich. She finally came back with the purchase date, less than two years ago. I decided I wouldn't be purchasing from that particular "provider" again.

So I stopped at the mall on my way home last night and bought a modem. Or is that a router? Oh well, anyway, the thing-a-ma-jiggy that hooks me into the Internet. This should be easy, right? I mean, I did all my training when I spent an entire Saturday hooking up my first, now-defunct modem. Just match up the wires and reconnect, no problem.

That was three hours and four phone calls ago, not counting transfers. Nobody I spoke with could help me, and that fact didn't seem to upset anyone except me.

To logoff of this story--I'm more tired of it than you are--I finally gave up on "customer care" and braved troubleshooting solo. I tried Wire A in Socket B, and presto! All systems were go. I haven't been so happy to see a row of green lights since last Christmas. So I figured I'd better try a blog post really fast, in case it was a mirage.

I often say that, to me, computers are like cars. I've been using both machines for many years, I know how to navigate the equipment to reach my destination, but I have absolutely no clue about what's going on under the hood. Go wireless, you say? For that, I'll need a chauffeur.

The Poll Toll

Rasmussen's polls are comprehensive and interesting. I like to check his website out at least once a week to watch the government's downward spiral.

This week, 52% of voters at least "somewhat disapprove" of the president's performance. Ouch. Most administrations would be smarting under those numbers and probably looking at revising their strategy to appease voters. But President Obama is different. He doesn't want to merely "preside" over the U.S.A.; he wants to rule. He is an ideologue on a mission to "transform" America, and he will not be dissuaded by such trifling matters as voter opinion.

The polls can keep dropping like a stone through water, but I predict that Obama will do what he wants to do and the citizens be damned. Even if his approval numbers plummet into the 20% range--and I suspect they might--he's got lots of time before 2012 to do major damage.

Welcome to bogus "hope" and mandatory "change." I remain 100% opposed to the Obama Solution. According to recent polls, I've got plenty of company.

People Power

To the health bill, the people objected

Our president's feeling rejected

The medical drama

Annoying Obama

Is not something voters elected.

Summer Reading

There are four weeks of summer left before Labor Day, and hopefully some vacation or beach time beckons you to relax and enjoy the season.

If you're looking for a good book, I suggest you try "The Art of Racing in the Rain," by Garth Stein. Not since Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" have I experienced such difficulty disengaging myself from a novel.

The story is told in the first person by Enzo, a delightfully wise and witty dog somewhat akin to Mr. Peabody in the old "Rocky and His Friends" cartoon. Enzo has a comparably wide expanse of knowledge and articulateness. But it's not so much facts and explanations that Enzo imparts to the reader as insights and experiences he has acquired throughout a long and eventful life.

Enzo's master is his beloved Denny, a blue collar automobile lover who marries a girl from the well-heeled side of the tracks. Their love is true, and so are their sorrows. Any reader who has suffered because of finances, illness, grief, loss, and injustice will find much in Enzo's eloquent narrative to identify with. Similarly, anyone who has ever triumphed over terrible odds will have much reason to rejoice.

Enzo is an old dog, feeble and in pain, and readers know how writers usually treat endings in such canine tales. As a dog lover, the outcomes are usually deflating to me. But this book is different. Without spoilers, I can assure you that the conclusion to "Racing in the Rain" is uplifting rather than sad.

In fact, in my highest compliment to a novel, I could read it again. With a long weekend coming up, I just might.

Good dog, Enzo.